Dr. Google is As Popular As Ever — Can Real Doctors Adapt?

For at least a third of American adults, the internet — and, in particular, search engines — is a diagnostic tool. But physicians are only slowly adapting to this new reality.

It’s easy to dismiss the Internet as a risky place to look for health information. As HealthTap founder Ron Gutman joked the first time we met, ”On the Internet, every headache becomes a brain tumor in four clicks or less.”

If you’ve ever done an online search for an unfamiliar ache, you can probably relate: That weird pain in your side could mean appendicitis, food poisoning or pregnancy. That nasty rash on your arm could be poison ivy, a spider bite or cancer.

But despite “Dr. Google’s” shortcomings and concerns about so-called cyberchondria, the Web – and search engines in particular – remains a top destination for people seeking out health information. READ MORE HERE >>>>